by Kathy Ferguson, Environmental Engineer

"So which one is your favorite?" It seems that all the girls from 12 years old to their 20s asked me that when I met them outside or inside the concert. Even though they all like Hanson, the group, they all seemed to have all honed in on one of them as the end-all, be-all shining star. And shine they did...all 3 of them.

My first Hanson concert was just about the coolest, wildest thing I've done since I was in college almost 10 years ago (Gasp!). I traveled from El Paso, TX (where I was working for the week) on June 27 to Port Clinton, OH. I flew through Houston (I live there), St. Louis, Chicago, and Cleveland.....up and down, up and down....."I feel quea------zy!" (Ike quote from TTMON)

Kim and Michelle picked me up at the airport in Cleveland. I have been conversing with Kim through e-mail for the last several months and lately almost weekly on the phone. I had never met her before and actually had just about forgotten that until........about 5 minutes before I got off the plane. I got oh so nervous and began to get chills.....I was about to meet one of my best friends and go to a concert that I gone way past wacky to get tickets for. Anyway, I got off the plane and there they were...both our first reactions was to hug each other even though we had kind of discussed we weren't big PDA people......but it just seemed so natural. I had never really talked or e-mailed with Michelle, but within about an hour, I felt like I had known her forever..... just like Kim. As we talked during the drive to Port Clinton, I kept wondering "why don't I feel strange?....why do I feel so comfortable?" Kim and I had talked previously about a million different things so maybe that explained it, but I think it was our common bond....our absolute frenzy over Hanson!

We met some of the girls in a car line outside the back entrance of Pine Knob. The girls in the car came out and asked if we wanted to know what was going on...and told us that the guard had told them to stay in their cars and we could all park there. So we talked for a little while and mosied back to our car. No sooner did we get back to the car, did a tour bus or a van pass and the girls in the cars in front of us jumped out screaming and started running to the fence....before I knew what I was doing, I was jumping out of Michelle's JIMMY and running to the fence. This happened several times.

As we waited in line outside the arena gates, nostalgia set in......other parents talked about concerts they had gone to...how the Beatles had started it all. Two girls told us how they met Hanson through a famous DJ, Danny Bonaduce (Partridge Family). I got a chill just listening to them.

The coolest thing about meeting girls at the concert was that no one looked at us "WEIRD" for being our age. They saw our "Rockin Adult Fans" banner and most cheered or said "cool". And then came the question about which one did I like. And I dutifully squealed a little.... "Taylor!" Oh what a thrill! I don't care if it was silly, it was just plain fun to be a "girl" again.

Anyway, we got inside the Pine Knob arena....oh my God we were on Row I, and we were so close! While we waited, two guys videotaped the crowd and we got on their tape with our banner (you could see us on the big screen). So many girls had banners....."Taylor for President", "What's Your Shoe Size?" (Mmmmmm?), "Will You Go Out With Me?", "I Can't Live A Minute Without You", "Taylor, Will You Come To Me?"

And then after Admiral Twin played, the hysteria began. Yes Admiral Twin was great, but I can barely remember because of all the Hanson memories...

We could hear Hanson step out and the first few notes of Gimme Some Lovin' and then......the signature "Come On" of Taylor's and my body threw a rod as the gray curtain fell. I jumped up and down. I haven't jumped up and down like that, I think in my life - what a rush!

The whole experience was almost like a dream....I still can't believe I was there. Taylor looked as though he was the tallest one these days (or he had on thick heels?). He sang so soulfully on the rockin' songs and so sweet on the slower songs. He was THE ultimate teen idol.

He flashed his sweet smile several times with his signature blushing. I think they were all impressed with the crowd. Taylor also waved several times into the audience when they were closer to the front of the stage during the 3 Car Garage acoustical set. He was so modest when he ran up and pointed at Zac to get the crowd to applaud. Then he took over on the drums (Oh the excitement!). Again, when Zac returned he pointed at Zac while Zac beat the skins. Anyway, I'll stop gushing, but Taylor was all that I expected and then some. He was who I had especially come to see and hear, and he did deliver !

Isaac was the one who really came out of his shell....or at least compared to the Live @ 10 Spot concert. He was jumping around alot and even jumped off the drum riser like Pete Townsend of the Who. He stole the show (briefly - heh!) from Taylor when he was on stage alone playing keyboards and singing More Than Anything. He sounded oh so wonderful. Also, he impressed the crowd with extremely low-crowd-pleasing vocals on parts of Summertime Blues.

Zac was a little subdued, but he did run around a little and spray water on the crowd, and have a few Zac-attacks talking to the crowd from his drum set. He is such a great drummer; it's hard to believe he is 12 years old!

The entire show was AWESOME; the same word Taylor described the crowd. I have been to 50 plus concerts in my "young adult" life, and this one was for the history books. I've seen Pearl Jam, Soul Asylum, Spin Doctors, Screaming Trees, Aerosmith, U2, the Rolling Stones, KISS, Guns and Roses, Soundgarden, Poison, Slaughter, Queensryche, and Bon Jovi to name a few....and Hanson rocks their socks off! Never have I known the words so well .....Never before have I jumped around with such unbounding energy, not once thinking of how tired I was or when it would be over.

The best performances to me were the very beginning with "Gimme Some Lovin'/Shake Your Tailfeather", the faster funkier concert version of "Speechless", and "A Minute Without You". However, the pinnacle of excitement for me came during "Mmmbop"....I heard the intro and I freaked. An older man probably in his 40s (even older than us - ha!) had been watching the concert and the crowd seemingly trying to take in all the reactions to Hanson. It was so cool to see him start dancing and singing when "Mmmbop" got started.

"I Will Come To You" was absolutely beautiful. Taylor has definitely settled in well with his lower register. "Weird" was incredible, too. I can't believe he actually sounds better than on MON.

I really loved Hanson before the concert, and I respect and love them even more now - what a Wild Ride!

Thanks Hanson, and thanks Kim and Michelle for an INCREDIBLE TIME!

Kathy